FreshBooks
Invoicing-first accounting for freelancers and service businesses, with time tracking and a client portal.
Overview
FreshBooks is invoicing-first accounting software aimed at freelancers, consultants and service businesses with fewer than about ten staff. Its strengths are polished invoices, estimates and proposals, built-in time tracking with billable hours, expense capture, project tracking and a client portal where customers can view and pay invoices online. Double-entry accounting, bank reconciliation and standard financial reports are included, although the general ledger is less flexible than QuickBooks Online or Xero.
Pricing is by number of billable clients rather than by user: Lite covers up to 5 clients, Plus up to 50 and Premium is unlimited. List prices are approximately $21, $38 and $65 per month billed monthly, with frequent promotional discounts for new customers and around 10% off for annual billing. Each additional team member costs about $11 per user per month, which adds up for small teams. US payroll is provided through Gusto as an add-on, and online payments carry standard card processing fees.
FreshBooks is easy to learn and has good mobile apps, but it is a poor fit for inventory-based businesses, companies that need multi-entity reporting, or anyone who will quickly exceed the client caps on the lower tiers.
Key features
Automation
- API access
Data
- Reporting & dashboards
Platforms
- Mobile app
Views
- Time tracking
Sales
- Quotes & invoices
Ecommerce
- Payment processing
Finance
- Recurring invoices
- Expense tracking
- Bank connections
- Tax reports
- Multi-currency invoicing
Collaboration
- Client portal
- Integrations
- Gmail, Make, PayPal, Stripe, Zapier
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android, API
Pros & cons
Strengths
- Very easy to set up and use, with polished invoices and estimates
- Built-in time tracking, projects and a client portal suit hourly and project work
- Good iOS and Android apps
- Clients can pay by card or bank transfer directly from the invoice
Limitations
- Billable client caps on Lite (5) and Plus (50)
- Each additional team member costs about $11 per month
- Weaker general ledger and reporting than QuickBooks Online or Xero
- No inventory management
Pricing
Subscription. Lite, Plus and Premium at approximately $21, $38 and $65 per month billed monthly, priced by number of billable clients; additional team members cost about $11 per user per month and introductory promotions are common.
Lite
$21/mo
For up to 5 billable clients.
- Unlimited invoices to 5 clients
- Unlimited expense entries
- Time tracking and estimates
- Online card and bank payments
Plus
Popular$38/mo
Up to 50 billable clients with recurring billing and accountant access.
- Up to 50 billable clients
- Recurring invoices and client retainers
- Double-entry accounting reports
- Invite your accountant
Premium
$65/mo
Unlimited billable clients with project profitability and customization.
- Unlimited billable clients
- Project profitability tracking
- Customized email templates and signatures
- Accounts payable
Select
Custom
Custom plan for larger businesses with dedicated support.
- Dedicated account manager
- Lower card transaction rates
- Onboarding and data migration help
Prices are listed in USD and can change. Confirm current pricing on the vendor’s pricing page.
Best for
A good fit if you are
- Freelancers and consultants who bill by the hour or by project
- Small agencies and service firms with a modest number of clients
- People who find full accounting packages intimidating
Not ideal if you
- Product or inventory businesses
- Companies with many billable clients on a tight budget
- Larger teams that need granular permissions
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FreshBooks
From $21/mo